Forsaken: The Edge of Everything

Larisa Brutocao-Mendoza

Description:

“The Mendozas no longer own the land, it’s true, but I own this courtroom.”

Bio:

There are literally dozens of people in Mendocino Valley with the surname Mendoza, but only Larisa’s family claims descent from the original Mendozas for whom the valley is named. This makes her something of an unofficial aristocrat, especially with the insular Hispanic community, and her family’s piles of wealth don’t hurt a bit.

Larisa herself is a Stanford-educated lawyer, a ferocious big-city litigator who spent years representing Brutocao Vineyards before marrying vineyard heir Paolo and settling in Mendocino. She still takes the odd case to keep her skills and reputation sharp, but is now primarily concerned with the legal interests of her vineyard and the upbringing of her two children.